'Guilty Immigration officers must be punished'

Gerakan is miffed that the eight Immigration officers arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) have been let off without any punishment although they had confessed to involvement in human smuggling activities.The party's legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh (right) could hardly believe it as he felt human smuggling, bad in itself, was also connected to other terrible crimes such as kidnapping and prostitution of children and adults.He was referring to the Home Ministry's decision to release the eight who were detained in October last year for suspicion of being involved in a human smuggling syndicate in this country.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a recent statement, that they were released after the ministry found that the eight had shown awareness and remorse and had promised never to repeat it."They have admitted their guilt. They should be charged," said Baljit, a lawyer by profession. Baljit challenged Hishamuddin to take action on the eight to show that Malaysia was serious in fighting cross border criminal activities.

He also urged de facto Law Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz to look into the matter and advise the government on the appropriate action to take on the eight.He added that the "deafening silence" on the part of the ministry and the police towards the culprits was shocking and made worse by their release without punishment.Baljit also referred to the police's swift action to arrest Parti Sosialis Malaysia activists under the Emergency Ordinance, only to release them 28 days later, and re-charge them for possession of "subversive documents".He said the crime of the immigration officers was more serious than that of the EO6 who were alleged to have in their possession leaflets and yellow T-shirts related to the July 9 Bersih rally.

Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/171985